What's on this weekend

Hopefully the temperature should rise in the run up to this weekend.  Providing plenty of opportunity to enjoy the outdoor after last weekends storms. 

Bad Pyrmont Wine Festival 12th -15th Jun 

From Thursday to Sunday, visitors can try German wines in all its variety. Enjoy a lively atmosphere with music and delicious food in front of the bandstand in the spa gardens. Opens at 11am each day.

Bad Pyrmont is home to an amazing Palm garden and the "Water" Schloss. Admission to the park is free during the wine festival. Drive time 52 mins . 

Copyright Bad Pyrmont Tourisms 

Paderborn Sports Day - Schloss Neuhaus 15th Jun 1400 - 1800

This year, the castle park in Schloß Neuhaus will once again be transformed into the largest sports mile in the region. 

Numerous Paderborn sports clubs present themselves and their sports and invite you to join in and try them out.

The open-air sports studio at the Brunnentheater also promises lots of fun and action.

Last Week of Mausolinos Bouncy Castle festival in Reitberg 

The inflatables will be on daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. In the northern part of the park. They are suitable for children up to 14 years old. Adults must unfortunately watch.

While bouncy fun is included in the regular admission price to the Garden Show Park on weekdays, children who want to jump pay €2 to enter the bouncy castle park on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays. 

They can have fun there as long as they want, and they can leave and return later. Drive time is 30 mins. Make sure to head into the Northern section of the park to find the event.

Münsterland Castles and Palaces Day 2025 15th Jun

A fantastic day of special events in the most historic locations in Münsterland. The majority of sites are offering free admission on the day.

There are over 40 castles, manor houses and palaces to visit. You can find full details on the website here.

Music, treasure to find and quizzes run alongside free tours in most locations. Schloss Ludinghausen will transform into an Italian Piazza for the day. 

There are so many locations to, some are close in Lippstadt others are on the Dutch border. You can view a map on the event website and flick through a full list of locations here 

Armed Forces Continuous Attitude Survey 2025 Results

The results from the armed forces continuous attitude survey (AFCAS) 2025 have been published and are available h

ere.

Immediate Effect

 With immediate effect no out of bounds areas in Paderborn.

Open fires are prohibited in public areas

"The City of Paderborn expressly points out that open fires are prohibited in public areas, especially on municipal green spaces. Furthermore, there is currently an acute danger from barbecuing and making fires, especially due to the ongoing drought.

This means that open fires are generally only permitted in designated areas and on private property.

Unfortunately, the city of Paderborn has recently discovered that this law has been violated, for example, in the area of ​​the castle and meadow park and at Lake Lippe. Such violations are punishable by fines.
Furthermore, it's important to ensure proper waste disposal.

The city and the Schlosspark und Lippesee Gesellschaft regularly observe that barbecue or picnic leftovers are not properly disposed of. In this case, too, a fine can be expected."

https://www.paderborn.de/.../109010100000300336.php...

paderborn.de

Offenes Feuer im öffentlichen Bereich verboten

Stadt Paderborn warnt vor Gefahr durch Grillen und Feuermachen

Sunday services at St Boniface Garrison church

11th May – 10:30 Holy Communion 4th Sunday of Easter St Boniface

18th May – 10:30 Holy Communion 5th Sunday of Easter St Boniface

26th May – 10:30 Holy Communion 6th Sunday of Easter St Boniface

Children and families welcome, refreshments after the service

Any question please contact Padre Nick on +49 1722 595317

AFF Virtual Immigration Brief – 29 Apr

 

Sennelager Garrison VE Day 80 event

Thursday 8th May 1015-1045hrs - Service of Remembrance (Memorial outside HQ NFS (Bldg 78).

This will be the official GSU event to mark the day. 

Celebrating Forces Families Awards - Countdown to 25 Apr 2025

Date: 25th April 2025

Location: De Vere Connaught Rooms, London

As April marks the Month of the Military Child, it’s the perfect moment to recognise and celebrate the extraordinary strength, resilience, and spirit of children from Armed Forces families. That’s why this year’s Celebrating Forces Families Awards 2025 is proud to shine a special spotlight on these remarkable young people – and to honour them in a truly unforgettable way.

Jacob’s Medal – brand new for 2025 – has been presented to 31 military children who have been nominated for the Young People’s Award. Each child receiving the medal has shown outstanding courage, kindness, creativity, and resilience in the face of challenges unique to military life – from coping with long parental deployments to navigating new schools and communities time and time again.

MOD: Victim Witness Care Unit

  Victim Witness Care Unit (VWCU) - GOV.UK

Aurora New Dawn: Athena Domestic Abuse Awareness & Recovery Programme – 3 Jun to 22 Jul

Aurora New Dawn’s Athena Domestic Abuse Awareness/Recovery Group is military specific and all online via zoom.  This programme is for 8 weeks taking place on Tuesday evenings 3 Jun to 22 Jul, and is open to serving personnel and families worldwide. 

Details of how to sign up are on the poster, and to find out more about Aurora New Dawn’s support to the Service community, are available on this link. 

Candle in The Wind VE Day Celebrations 2025

 

Sunday services at St Boniface Garrison church

6th April – 10:30 Holy Communion 5th Sunday of Lent St Boniface

13th April – 10:30 Holy Communion Palm Sunday St Boniface

18th April – 3:00 pm Good Friday reflection Good Friday St Boniface

20th April – 10:30 Holy Communion with celebration of Easter Easter Day St Boniface

Children and families welcome, refreshments after the service

Any question please contact Padre Nick on +40 1722 595317

The Holy Week services are mostly in collaboration with the local German churches.

 Peace be with you, Friede sei mit Dir,

Have you shared your views on Service family life? Time’s running out!

The Families Continuous Attitude Survey (FamCAS) 2025 closes in 1 week! Don’t miss your opportunity to tell us what you think about Service family life.

Each year, Defence invites a random sample of Service partners to complete the Families Continuous Attitude Survey (FamCAS). This survey is your chance to tell us about your experiences and views in relation to various aspects of Service family life.

You can see if you are in this year’s sample, and can access the survey, by using the online tool. The survey closes on Monday 7 April 2025 at 23:59.

Why complete the survey?

Your feedback will help us to understand what Service life is like for your family, which will help us to make informed decisions on what changes to prioritise and develop policies to address your family’s challenges and needs. Whether it’s with childcare and children’s education, housing, deployment, or employment.

Who can complete the survey, and how?

To find out if you can take part in FamCAS 2025, please use the online eligibility tool. You will be asked to enter a token/access code, which is your partner’s Service number. This is needed for security reasons only. Please be assured that all survey responses are anonymous.

If eligible, the tool will direct you to the survey. We recommend using Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge.

If you have any questions about this year's FamCAS, please email: Analysis-Surveys-Enquiries@mod.gov.uk.

Information and support

Check out our new Families Hub, which signposts to support, guidance and organisations to help you navigate Service family life.

Visit Discover My Benefits to find out about the range of benefits, opportunities, and support for you and your family.

Local Guide for British Pasport Applications

Sennelager Garrison Entitled Personnel:

 A reminder of the process in place to apply for British passports online for entitled personnel serving overseas.

 

A local instruction has been created and can be found on ModNet, on the Sennelager GSU RAO - Home page, under the "Passport Application Process" Thumbnail. This process must be followed to ensure entitled personnel do not incur overseas postage costs and are authorised to claim the passport fees through their normal claims processes (e.g. through JPA, MyHR, etc.).

 

The Head of Household (HoH) is to email SennelagerGSU-HQ-RAO-0Mailbox@mod.gov.uk with information as directed to obtain an FOC before applying online for themselves and/or their entitled family members.

 

For more information, please go to the GSU RAO Homepage, the Sennelager Garrison TEAMS site or Unit Part 1 Orders on ModNet.

 

The Families Continuous Attitude Survey 2025 is open!

The Families Continuous Attitude Survey 2025 – which hears from Service spouses and civil partners about their views on Service family life – is now open!  

Take part in this year’s tri-Service Families Continuous Attitude Survey (FamCAS) and help Defence to understand your experiences and thoughts across a broad range of areas. Your feedback will help Defence to make changes and develop policies to better meet your needs. 

The survey invites a random sample of civil partners and spouses of regular serving personnel to take part. To see if you’ve been invited to complete the survey, and to access the survey, please check the online eligibility tool.

Defence launches the Families Hub – an information portal to help navigate Service family life

The Families Hub – which signposts to information, support and organisations to help navigate all stages of Service family life – has launched.

For the first time, Armed Forces families will be able to access a “one stop shop” digital platform – which signposts to a wealth of information, support and organisations – to help you navigate Service family life.

The Families Hub is for all Armed Forces (Regular and Reserve) families and personnel – from the moment of entering the Forces, through to leaving.

Visit the Families Hub today and explore a range of topics, including partner support, housing, health and wellbeing, childcare and finance.

New Defence survey for those in a Long Term Relationship

If you’re in a Long Term Relationship (LTR) with a Service person, Defence would like to hear your views and experiences about Service family life. 

Defence has launched a pilot survey to better understand the experiences of Long Term Relationship partners, including dual-serving partners, of serving personnel. This survey is anonymous and closes on Monday 3 February 2025.

Please note that this survey is open to the entire LTR population, and is separate to the LTR Overseas pilot scheme survey that is also currently ongoing.

Tips and advice on handling fireworks from Paderborn Stadt Authorities

So that New Year's Eve ends without any nasty surprises


Tips and advice on handling fireworks

Fireworks must be handled with extreme caution
© Christian Schwier-Germany / fotolia.com


The year will end in a few days. As the end of the past year and the start of the new year, rockets will light up the dark night sky in many places. But what should be taken into account when setting off New Year's Eve fireworks? When can firecrackers, rockets, etc. be bought and set off?

Category 2 fireworks, which include rockets, fountains, or firework batteries, can be bought in retail stores from December 29 to 31. According to the Explosives Act, these are fireworks that have a low noise level, for example, and are intended for use outdoors. 

They can be set off on December 31 and January 1 by people who have reached the age of 18. However, Category 2 fireworks may not be set off near churches, hospitals, children's and old people's homes, or particularly fire-sensitive buildings and facilities such as half-timbered or wooden houses or gas stations.

Category 1 fireworks (so-called children's fireworks) can be bought and used all year round in Germany by minors aged 12 and over.
They are popular at New Year's Eve, but they are not without danger.

“Hands off illegal or homemade fireworks,” advises the Paderborn District Regulatory Office. There is a risk of serious injuries.

Only fireworks that have been type-tested by a notified body such as the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing are safe to handle when used as intended. Tested fireworks are marked with a registration number and the CE mark. (Source: BAM)

Marc Hammerstein, head of the district fire brigade and technical centre in Büren-Ahden, advises from the fire and rescue service perspective that parents should urgently warn their children about the danger of unexploded firecrackers.

 "Unfortunately, there have been repeated accidents here in recent years with very serious injuries," says Hammerstein.

While we understand the need for a boisterous New Year's Eve celebration, district veterinarian Dr. Ralf Lang also asks for consideration for wild and domestic animals. Fireworks should therefore only be set off at the turn of the year and not hours or days before or after.

"Then the animals don't suffer from constant stress," explains Lang. The expert advises pet owners to bring cats into the house early and to keep dogs and cats in a place in the house that is as protected from noise as possible. 

Since horses and cattle can also react with fear, "it goes without saying that no fireworks should be set off near farms and stables and that pet owners should keep an eye on their animals," stresses the district veterinarian.

To ensure that New Year's Eve does not end in hospital or the fire brigade having to be called out, the district fire brigade headquarters has put together a series of important tips and advice on how to handle fireworks.

Fireworks do not belong in children's hands!Only use fireworks that have been approved by the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing (BAM). Tested fireworks are marked with a registration number and the CE mark in conjunction with the identification number of the testing center that monitors the manufacturer's quality assurance. BAM has the Europe-wide identification number 0589.- Carefully read and follow the instructions printed on the packaging!

• Never modify or open fireworks yourself!
• Only use firecrackers and rockets outdoors!
• Maintain a safe distance from people, buildings, trees and motor vehicles!
• Only fire rockets vertically; find a safe place to stand!
• Do not fire rockets in strong winds!
• Throw away lit firecrackers immediately after lighting them or move away!
• Do not leave unused rockets or firecrackers lying around. They can still ignite even after several minutes!
• Fireworks can ignite clothing, open pockets or hoods are particularly dangerous!
• Never throw fireworks at people or objects or aim rockets at people!
• Rockets can be blown off course by just a short gust of wind. Therefore, close windows, balconies and doors so that nothing from outside lands in your living room and can cause fires. It is best to also tidy up the balcony and not leave anything that is easily flammable!

Have a fire extinguisher or bucket of water ready. In an emergency, call 112.

The Longest Yarn - A Thread Through History

The Longest Yarn is an 80 metre 3D knitted/crocheted work depicting The Longest Day, 6th June 1944, in time for the 80th Anniversary.

The exhibition is coming to the following locations (please check individual websites for timings and further information):

• Tewkesbury Abbey - Sat 7 Dec-Thu 9 Jan
• St Macartins, Enniskillen - Mon 13 Jan-Sat 8 Feb
• Norwich University Memorial Library - Mon 10 Feb-Sat 1 Mar
• Peterborough Cathedral - Mon 3 Mar-Tue 3 Apr​

Service times for Advent season 2024

Here are the dates and times for this years services at St Bonniface and Loseke Community Centre

15th December – 10:30  Holy Communion Third Sunday of Advent St Boniface

22nd December – 10:30 Teddy bear Nativity Service Bring a teddy/soft toy dressed to play a part St Boniface

24th December – 16:00 Carol Service Carols for Christmas Community Centre

24th December – 23:30 Holy Communion Midnight Mass St Boniface

25th December – 10:30 Celebration of Christmas The joy of Christmas St Boniface

29th December – 10:30 Holy Communion First Sunday of Christmas St Boniface

4th January – 10:30 Holy Communion Second Sunday of Christmas St Boniface